07 Nov JUMPING WITH JOY
Endangered wallabies discovered at our Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary! Donate Now
Aussie Ark – alongside partners Wild Ark, Re:wild and the Australian Reptile Park – are jumping with joy to announce to the world that it has discovered the endangered Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby living naturally within its new Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary!
This small, muscular marsupial is classified as endangered, with less than 30,000 animals found in the wild. It lives on rocky escarpments, which scatter like isolated islands across NSW. Some populations are reduced to just 10 animals, easily impacted by feral predation and fire.
Aussie Ark is a world-recognised leader in Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby conservation, successfully breeding and rewilding the species in its Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. To find the species naturally occurring at its new Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary has thrilled the staff and confirmed the environmental value of the property.
Aussie Ark Operations Manager Dean Reid headed the investigation on site and couldn’t be happier.
“We had an inkling they were there,” Mr Reid said. “We have a large rocky escarpment running through the Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an ideal home for these wallabies. But we didn’t want to get our hopes up. I mean, this species is SO rare, and so hard to find. It’s nimble, mostly nocturnal…and terrified of humans!”
The Aussie Ark team set up infra-red sensor camera traps along the escarpment over a number of nights. Reviewing the footage confirmed their dream was true.
“We were like kids, watching the footage!” Said Mr Reid. “We were just so excited. We’ve worked so hard for years to build up a population at Barrington, by captive breeding and re-wilding. To find them at our sister property, living in the wild by their own choice, was like a huge gift. It was really moving.”
Aussie Ark partners WildArk, Re:Wild and the Australian Reptile Park were also delighted. It further inspires and motivates their collective work, replanting, restoring and fencing the property.
“Like the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, our Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary promises to be an oasis for animals like the Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby,” Mr Reid said. “Our dream is to create a feral-proof ecosystem, restored to pre-colonial days, where these sorts of endangered animals can live out their lives in safety.”
Aussie Ark’s work with Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies is globally significant. As the 2022 State of the Environment Report confirmed, Australia has the highest rate of species’ decline in the developed world, with more than 100 species listed as either extinct or extinct in the wild.
“Aussie Ark specialises in breeding and re-wilding some of Australia’s most endangered species. We say ‘no’ to extinction and ‘yes’ to conservation,” Mr Reid said.
“This includes the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby. We refuse to let this species join the extinction list.”
Head to aussieark.org.au to support Aussie Ark and their conservation efforts for the Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby. There’s no time to lose. And every donation counts.
